Electrical connector



J. A KonENGoLD 2,229,211

Jan. 21, 194.1.

:ummm counxcm und nos. 22. 1931" Y C #4 a A k 7/ FIGA..

A lNvr-:NTOR JOHN H. KoRENGoLD f I y l f Patented Jan. 2l, 1941 i UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE kThis invention relates inwgeneral to` electricalconnectors and has for its primary objects the provision of anelectrical connector'A which may be readily pulled apart4 andkreconnected with ex- Ii ceptional ease and facility; which, when`connected, provides unusually rigid, low resistance, and satisfactorycontact; which may be quickly and conveniently attached tothe respecvtive electrical conductors joined by it;` which may,

l if desired, be rendered explosion proof; which is very rugged anddurable;v and which is otherwise highly satisfactoryand efticient in theperformance of its intended functions. y

And with the above and other objects in view, l5 my invention `residesinthe novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof the several parts presently described and pointedout in the claims. y

In the accompanying drawing-- Figure 1 is avlongitudinal sectional viewof an electrical connector, constructed in accordance with and embodyingmyf present invention, illustrating the use of such avconnector in aconduit pipe:

Figure 2 is a top plan .view ofthe .female portion of theconnector; Y

Figure is a top plan view of the femalel porl tion of the connector withthe contact-posts thereof removed;

yalong the line 4-4, Figure2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the female connector member,taken approximately along the line5-5, Figure 2; I

Figure 6 is a top planview of the male member of the connector;

Figure '7 is a diametral sectional view of the male connector member,taken approximately 40 along the line I--1,v Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the male connector member,taken approximately along the line 8-8, Figure 6. g

Referring now in more detail andby reference characters to the drawing,A designates a section of conduit member having an externally threadedend I and being interiorly provided with a preferably integrally formedlannular shoulder 2 spaced inwardly from the threaded end ink theformation of a connector-receiving socket 3. B

designates a companion conduit member; diametrically enlarged for apredetermineddistance inwardly from its one end in the provision of aconnector-receiving socket 4 for endwise abutting engagementwith theconduit member'A and in turn, is internally Figure 4'is a diametralsectional view of thefemale connector member, taken approximatelyhaving, at its rearwardly presentedend, an annular abutment face 5 forabuttingly .engaging the annular fiange 6 of the union-collar C, which,

threaded for conduit-connecting engagement with the threaded .end I ofthe conduit member A.

Formed preferably of molded Bakelite, hard rubber, Aor other suitabledielectric. material for snug-fitting removable disposition within theconnector-socket 3, is` a female connector member 1 including acylindrical shank portion 8 provided with a pair of axial bores 9 and apair of tapped plugs lli,y preferably formed of electrically conductivematerial and molded into or otherwise rigidly mounted in the shankportion 8, the shank portion 8 being rof external diametrical sizesubstantially equivalenty to the internal diametrical size o f theannular shoulder! of the conduit member A. g Formed preferablyintegrally with, and extending axially outwardly from, the inner, face jof the shank 8, is a diametrically enlarged cup-like member I I, beingin external dimensions substantially equal to the correspondingdimensionsof the connector-receiving socket Provided for threadedlyremovable disposition in the tapped plugs IB, is a pair of femaleconnector posts I2 each diametrically enlarged and bored at one end inthe provision Aof an axially extending cup-likev portion I3, the sidewall of which is provided with a plurality of lengthwise slots I4, therearward end ofthe cup-like portion I3 being exteriorly faced off intheprovision of a fiat annular abutment` margin I5, all for purposespresently more fully appearing and as best seen in Figures 1 and 4. y

Likewise formed preferably of molded Bakelite, hard rubber, or othersuitable dielectric substance, is a` male connector member IB, includinga shank portion I1 of diametrical size and length substantiallyequivalent to the corresponding inner dimensions of theconnector-receiving"socket 4 Vfor snug ttingdisposition therein, themale connector ymember I6 further including a plug portion formedintegrally with and projecting 4 outwardly from Ithe shank portion I1,being diametrically sized to fit snugly within the cup-like portion IIof the female member 1 and being-in length 'considerablyshorter than thedepth of the shank portion II of the male connector member I6, is a pairof parallel apertures I8 preferably arranged in diametraljuxta-position. Rigidly mounted also in the shank portion I1 of the maleconnector member I6, is a pair of parallel cylindrical metallic insertmembers I9 preferably arranged in diametral juxta-position, being ontheir upper face preferably flush with the upper face f of the shankportion I1 and having an internally threaded bore 20 for receiving thethreaded end of a connector post 2| diametrically sized for snug-fittingengagement Within one of the female connector posts I2.

It will, of course, be apparent in this connection that the bores 20will be axially aligned with the respective female connector posts I2,so that the male connector posts 2I will readily t thereinto as the maleand female connector members are put together. The shank portion I'I ofthe male connector members I6 is provided with an axially disposedradial slot 22, which extends diametrically across and through themetallic insert member I 9 and is of a depth equal to the length of thebore 20 thereof, all for pur- Y poses presently more fully appearing andas best seen in Figures 7 and 8.

In use, the selected conductor wires are suitably bared at their ends inthe conventional manner and inserted upwardly through the apertures 9 ofthe female connector member 1. Flat conductor rings r of conventionaldesign are soldered to the bared ends and are bent over into iiatwiseabutment with the respective tapped plugs IIJ. The female connector postmembers I2 are thereupon threaded into the tapped plugs downwardly intotight engagement with the upwardly presented faces of the connectorrings r whereby to hold them rigidly in electrically conductiveengagement, as best seen inFigures 4 and 5.

The other electrical connectors or leads, which are to be brought intocircuit-completing connection with the previously mentioned conductorsor'leads, are likewise bared at their ends in the conventional mannerand inserted Aupwardly through the apertures I8 of the male connectorplug member. The bared ends are then bent over at right angles into theslot 22, so that they will respectively extend along the bottoms andacross the bore 20 of the metallic insert members I9. The male connectorpost 2| is thereupon threadedly inserted into the bore 20 and screweddown into tight engagement with the bored end of the connector wires forelectrically conductive and gripping engagement therewith, as best seenin .Figures 7 and 8.

The male and female connector plug members are then inserted into eachother in such a manner that the male connector posts 2l willlrespectively be inserted axially into the female connector post membersI2 forjcircuit completing engagement therewith substantially in themanner shown in Figure 1. It will, of course, be apparent that, as therespective contact members slide into each other, the effect of aso-called wiping contact will be achieved over the entire contact area,with a resultingly high contact efllciency.

If desired, the apertures 8 and I8, respectively, of the male and femaleconnector members may be sealed with a suitable plastic substance inorder to provide a substantially gas-tight or explosion-proof electricalconnection joint. In the case of the use of the present electricalconnector in conjunction with a conduit pipe, as illustrated in Figure1, the joined connector members are then placed into the respective endsof the conduit members A and B, as shown in Figure 1, and the threadedcollar` C turned into conduitconnecting position. whereupon the male andfemale members, respectively, will be held tightly within each other.

It should be pointed out in this connection that in various types ofelectrical apparatus, such as the conduit pipes A and B, the mechanicalconnection of the parts requires a certain amount of axial movement' orplay. The present connector member provides a considerable amount ofsuch axial freedom, the male connector posts merely slipping axiallywithin the female connector posts to a greater or lesser degree as maybe desired in the mechanical connection of the housing parts, such asthe conduit pipes A and B.

Thus by my present invention I have provided an electrical connectorwhich is exceptionally simple in construction and operation and providesa highly efficient detachable connection, which, when' joined tocomplete the electrical circuit, does so in a sort of wiping mannerwhich provides unusually eiiicient contact. My present invention furtherprovides a vconnector member which is readily disconnected, so that thevarious housing elements may be disconnected without the necessity ofextensive rewiringoperations. Suppose, for instance, that theconduitpipe A carried at its one end a lamp socket and shade and theconduit B at its other end was connected to the stand, base, or othersupporting structure of the lamp. In such a case, as will readily beapparent, if the lamp socket became damaged, it could be readily removedfrom the base structure for repair without completely dismantling theentire structure and disconnecting all the wires.

Since the most common type of electrical installation is the two-wiresystem, the application of the present invention to such a two-wiresystem is illustrated, although it should be understood that the presentinvention is equally well applicable to different types of electricalsystems, such as three-wire systems, for instance, by the meremultiplication of parts in a manner readily apparent to those skilled inthe art.

It should be understood that changes and modications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of theelectrical connector may be made and substituted for those herein shownand described without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. An electrical connector element comprising adielectric base having an aperture whereby an electrical wire may beinserted through the base, an internally threaded cup `set into thebase, and a contactor member having at one end a jackpost receivingsocket and at' its other end a screw-post for threaded engagement in thecup, said contactor member being enlarged adjacent the linner end of itsscrew-post in the provision of an abutment shoulder for contactivelyengaging, and at thesame time retentively holding, the electrical wire.

2. An electrical connector element comprising a dielectric base havingan aperture whereby an nature and principle of my electrical wire havinga non-insulated end may be inserted through the base with itsnon-insulated tactor member having at one end a conductorrecelvingsubstantially cylindrical and concentric socket and at its other end ascrew-post for threaded engagement in the cup, said contactor memberbeing enlarged adjacent the inner end of its screw-post in the provisionof an abutment shoulder in opposing relation to the cup-rim forcontactively engaging the bent-over non-insulated end of the electricalwire and retentively holding said wire-end against the cup-rim,

3. An electrical connector element including a dielectric base memberprovided with a kshank having an outwardly presented face, an internallythreaded cylindrical cup set into the shank and opening upon the shankface, said dielectric member being provided with an aperture extendingaxially therethrough adjacent said cup, said shank and said cup beingprovided with a narrow slot extending diametrally across the cup andopening at one end into the aperture and at the other end upon the outerside face of the shank,

said slot being substantially flush along its bot-k tom face'withtheknside bottom face of the cup, and a jack-post member having athreaded end portion substantially greater in length than the depth ofthe cup for -(3o-operative engagement in the cup whereby to force abent-over section of conductor wire over into the slot and downwardlyagainst the inside bottom Wall of the cup for simultaneously makingcontact therewith and retentively holding the same in place.

JOHN A. KORENGOLD.

